1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to article conveying or transfer devices, and particularly to an article transfer device for removing articles one at a time from a mass flow of articles.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The present invention has particular utility in the manufacture of filtered cigarettes. Cigarette filters are cylindrical in shape and are manufactured at very high production rates. After the filters are manufactured, they are conveyed in mass to a downstream manufacturing operation where they are attached to cigarette tobacco rods to produce filtered cigarettes. It is important that the filters be randomly checked to make sure they conform to preselected quality and performance standards. The problem is to be able to remove a filter from the mass flow of filters being conveyed without interfering with the flow of filters in any way which would slow down the overall manufacturing process.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,034,645 teaches in FIG. 1 the use of air blower nozzles 38, 40 for ejecting defective cigarettes. U.S. Pat. No. 3,450,258 teaches in FIG. 1 a pusher element 2 to deflect defective cigarettes from conveyor belt 28 (FIG. 3). U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,636 teaches in FIG. 1 a system comprising a conveyor 12 with filter tipped cigarettes 18 thereon, a fiber optic bundle 20 to inspect cigarettes, and a reject mechanism 36 using an air blast to eject the defective cigarettes. U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,487 teaches in FIG. 2 a restriction die unit 10 for detecting and capturing imperfect filter rods 18. U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,678 teaches in FIG. 4 a filter plug length measuring device 28 which controls an ejecting device 29 for expelling unsatisfactory condensed groups. U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,075 teaches in FIG. 1 an air ejection system for rejecting faulty cigarettes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,484 teaches in FIG. 1 a hopper of a cigarette machine provided sensor means for checking cigarettes and a pusher bar 8 for ejecting the defective ones. U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,546 teaches an inspection system provided with means for ejecting faulty cork patches. U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,620 teaches a system for inspecting and ejecting defective cigarettes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,520 teaches in FIG. 1 a cigarette testing device 10a in which defective cigarettes 15 are ejected by air nozzles 24. U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,736 teaches in FIG. 2 an air nozzle 20 for ejecting a defective cigarette. U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,646 teaches in FIGS. 1 and 2 an apparatus for sampling cigarettes on a filter assembly machine, including a conveyor 18 for moving cigarettes 7 from station 23 to reject station 14. U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,232 teaches in FIG. 1 an apparatus for checking the quality of rod-shaped, cylindrical objects and an ejection mechanism is provided for removing faulty cigarettes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,831 teaches in FIG. 1 a device for feeding cigarettes into a hopper where sensors check the cigarettes and a pusher element 8 is used to reject defective cigarettes. And, U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,374 teaches in FIGS. 1-4 a mechanism which includes extracting device 41 for extracting defective cigarettes from hopper 1.